My canyoning experience in the Furon

This post is also available in: French

I don’t know about you, but when warm days arrive, I want to make the most of my weekends by going on hikes, visiting pretty villages but above all, trying new outdoor activities.

Precisely, this post introduces you to a great Adventure Escape: canyoning. It was the first time we did this activity and it is absolutely amazing. This experience should not be missed. Canyoning is a mix between rock climbing and hiking in the rapids.

We went with Vertical Aventures in the Furon Canyon. It is located near grenoble in France. We start off by putting on neoprene wetsuits and socks. We then put on the harness equipped with snap hooks and a “skirt” on the bottom which will allow you to slide on the rocks.

And we’re off on the first rappellling slide. The first contact with water is pretty cold. The wetsuit protects you well, but water still comes in from your neck and slides down to your back. Even in July, the water is damn freezing.

Rappelling down, canyoning — Rappelling down

On the agenda during this activity: crawling under narrow cavities, we’re almost doing speleology here, gliding on natural slides (smooth rocks), rappelling, ziplines, jumps from different heigths (up to 12m high), walking in the canyon…

For the least reckless persons, I want to reassure you. You will never have to jump if you don’t want to. There is always the possibility to slide down or go rappelling. Moreover, the instructor is always there to guide you and show you the dangerous spots and the position to adopt at each stage.

It really was an amazing afternoon, full of new sensations and experiences. We had a good laugh with members of the group, it was a lot of fun and our instructor was just awesome. And while you are getting your thrill, you also walk along a beautiful natural canyon.

That’s why this activity attracted me in the first place. I really like the fact that we use the natural shapes of the elements and the landscape to have fun. We do not alter nature, we adapt to it.

I highly recommend you to try this activity. There are no particular difficulties and no physical conditions are required.

Watch the video of our Canyoning adventure in the Furon Canyon. Video editing made by Paul Urban.

Canyoning – Gorges du Furon

group canyoning Furon — Our group. I was the only girl

Useful information:

Half-day canyoning excursion costs around 50 €/person

What to bring: your swim suit and sneaker shoes (all the canyoning equipments are supplied)

Photos were taken with a GoPro 2.

So, are you tempted with this activity ? Have you ever done canyoning ? What other whitewater river adventure sports have you tried and which one was your favorite ?